 “Egalitarian children” rate their model more positively than “traditional children” rate theirs. |
The traditional family model with the mother at home seems to be gaining popularity again in Switzerland. However, children benefit more when parents share their roles equally.
By Andrea Fischer. When SVP President Ueli Maurer demanded in an interview that mothers should take more care of their children instead of working outside the home, he faced fierce protests. But now it seems that Maurer's view is finding more supporters than before. According to the latest SRG election barometer, 45 percent of those surveyed believe that raising children is a woman's responsibility.
Most children are satisfied
Given the ongoing debate about the ideal family structure, the question arises: what do children want? Which family form would they prefer? A study funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation provides some answers, allowing children to voice their opinions on this question for the first time. Sociologist Margret Bürgisser and co-author Diana Baumgarten interviewed a total of 70 boys, girls, and young adults between the ages of 10 and 20. These included children from egalitarian families, where both parents share work, childcare, and housework, as well as those from traditional families. The researchers wanted to understand how the sons and daughters perceive their parents' role models and what impact these models have on them.
To begin with: Children generally accept their parents' model; they don't criticize it, it's simply normal for them. However, if you ask them what they think of the respective model, it becomes clear that the egalitarian model is advantageous for the children. Furthermore, the "egalitarian children" rate their model more positively than the "traditional children" rate theirs.
Desire for "less mother"
In the partnership-based parenting model, girls and boys particularly appreciate the variety; it also fosters a more diverse relationship with their parents. They highlight being able to live a normal daily life with their father as a particularly positive aspect. "In egalitarian families, the father is an understanding confidant for his children," the study notes. This is precisely what children from traditional families miss. Their relationship with their father is much less pronounced, as he plays a smaller role in their daily lives. Teenagers, in particular, experience their mother's almost constant presence as controlling and inhibiting their independence. According to the study, "most traditional children wish for less of a mother." For the researchers, the results are not surprising. The survey of children largely confirms what was assumed based on similar studies about parents: the partnership-based model has numerous advantages. Disadvantages, such as the "less clear division of family roles," are hardly significant. It would also be expected that the children would adopt their parents' role models for their own future. Young women and men from egalitarian families should therefore prefer the partnership model, and vice versa. However, the answer to this question is not straightforward. In traditional families, boys clearly tend toward their parents' model; girls, on the other hand, show sympathy for both lifestyles. In the group of "egalitarian children," girls unequivocally identify with this family form. For them, the partnership model seems to be "particularly rewarding," the researchers conclude. Boys raised in egalitarian families, however, tend to express more traditional role expectations. Not because the egalitarian model ultimately doesn't suit them, clarifies study author Margret Bürgisser, but rather because they recognize the rewards a professional career offers. Resisting these temptations is difficult for young men.
Remove obstacles
Ultimately, Bürgisser's decisive finding is that "children express a desire to be able to live an active daily life with both parents." Expectant parents need to be aware of this. However, for young adults to then actually choose the partnership model, the corresponding obstacles in government and business must be removed.
Margret Bürgisser, Diana Baumgarten: Children in Different Family Forms, Rüegger Publishing House, Zurich/Chur, 2006
Margret Bürgisser, Diana Baumgarten: Children in Different Family Forms, Rüegger Publishing House, Zurich/Chur, 2006